The company Bitpay has been busy lately dealing with the recent blockchain split, the possible upcoming fork, and dealing with the drama over using Segwit2x software. Now the firm has released a preview of its Bitcore version 5.0 protocol which enables any user to run a bitcoin application using any implementation of the Bitcoin protocol.

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Bitcore’s Modular Nodes Allow Users to Switch to Any Bitcoin Implementation

On August 29 the Bitpay development team revealed a preview release of Bitcore 5.0, a modular full node for Bitcoin and blockchain applications. With the release, users will be able to run any software implementation of the Bitcoin protocol and even forked versions. Previous versions of Bitcore depended on custom extensions of the Bitcoin software, explains Bitpay, but now any client can be used if it can successfully connect to the network.  

“Now you can change your Bitcoin client, upgrade it or downgrade it, whenever and however you want —  As long as your client can talk to the Bitcoin network, Bitcore can use it,” explains Bitpay’s announcement.  

To switch underlying Bitcoin implementations, you can point Bitcore to any full node which supports the Bitcoin P2P protocol, even another fork of Bitcoin. And since you won’t need to fork Bitcore’s code base to do it, switching implementations is easier than ever.

Javascript Bcoin Protocol Creates More Functionality

Bitpay says that by default, Bitcoin runs on a node of the Bcoin implementation, a full Node.js-based client. The firm says that the default to Bcoin allows for more functionality and is easily extendable to create other Bitcore services. “With Bcoin, your Bitcore instance also now automatically supports Segregated Witness (Segwit),” Bitpay details.

Bitcore’s Bcoin implementation makes deploying a block explorer simple. Spin up a Bcoin-based Bitcore full node and block explorer in two easy steps.

Bitcore Users Can Also Designate a Bitcoin Cash Node

After Bitpay announced the latest version of Bitcore 5.0, an individual on Reddit asked the company if Bitcore would support the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) fork. Bitpay’s James Walpole responds by explaining that Bitcore can be set to a BCH node.

“If you are running a bitcoin application (like a block explorer) using Bitcore, you can designate a Bitcoin Cash node,” Walpole details. “This would mean that your own block explorer would now query the Bitcoin Cash blockchain. This would not impact any Bitpay services whatsoever. You can only change the implementation your own Bitcore instance is using.”

What do you think about Bitpay’s Bitcore 5.0 software being able to support multiple clients? Let us know in the comments below.

Images via Shutterstock, and the Bitcore logo.

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Tags in this story

Bcoin, Bitcoin, bitcoin cash, Bitcoin Forks, Bitcoin software, Bitcore, BitPay, Clients, Functionality, James Walpole, Javascript, N-Technology, nodes, Segwit2X

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Jamie Redman

Jamie Redman is a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open source code, and decentralized applications. Redman has written thousands of articles for news.Bitcoin.com about the disruptive protocols emerging today.